Folding door for elevators and the like



March 31, 1931."

# e. c. STAEHLE FOLDING noon FOR ELEVATORSAND'THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 31, 1931.; G.'C.\STAEHLE 1,799,138v

' FOLDING 130011 FOR ELEVATORS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1929 2Sheets-Slfeet 2' Patented Mar. 31, 1931 GILBERT C. STAEI-ILE, 0ECFEICAGG, ELLINQIS, ASSIGNGR TO PAUL H. MACMAHON 'FF ECE FOLDING DOORFOB. ELEVATORS AND THE LIKE Application filed February 25, 1929. SerialNo. 342,414.

The invention relates to folding doors for is fixed to plate 18. Theouter faces of beams elevators and the like. 12 of the lower track arefixed to a plate '14 One object of the invention is to provide a and toan angle bar l of the floor frame of door which is composed of aseries'of hinged the cab respectively. Bar 14c is lined to an oleaves'whicln'when turned intoaligiied rela angle bar 14 which issecured to plate 14. 55

tion, usually form a continuous or complete A series of guide bracketsor runners 15 are closure, and which are adapted, when shifted mountedto travel on and between beams 11 to an open position, to be collapsedinto a of the upper track, and a corresponding se-- small space. Theinvention contemplates the ries of guide-beams or runners 16 are mount--it!) use of hinged leaves to form the closure','as' ed to travel on andbetween the beams 12" of contradistinguished from diagonally crossed thelower track. Each of said brackets is" bars, such as are now ingeneraluse on elecomposed of a pair of members which arosevators. v gcured together in spaced relation by spacing Another object is toprovide an improved blocks 18 and 19 between them, and each 1 doorstructure which comprises a' series of member has outwardly extendingfianges'1'7 at horizontally turned leaves which, when sepathe top andbottom thereof to lap thefiaing rated, will be successively guided intoalignof the'track beams. Each flange 17 has a rement to form a closurefor an opening and cess in which is confined an anti-frictionball which,when turned into atransverse position 20 which is adapted to roll in thecontiguous I and moved out of the opening, willbe serially groove in oneof the track beams. These re collapsed andshifted into contact relation.balls are provided between the top and be Other objects of the inventionwill appear tom faces of the upper-andlower flanges of from the detaileddescription. i the track beams so the bracketswil l be hori- Theinvention consists in the severalnovcl zontally and rectilinearly on thetracks; 1 features hereinafter set forth and more'par- These bracketsextend verticallythrough-the ticularly defined by claims at theconclusion spaces between the track beams- 7 hereof. I A door leaf 21extends between and con- 111 the drawings: Fig. l-is a verticallonginectseach vertical pair of brackets 15 an'd16- tudinal section of astructure embodyin'gthe so the said brackets will travel uniformly oninvention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionjon the upper and lower tracksand pivotally line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is asection on line support thedoor leaf between them; Each 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4; is a section online-1+4 leaf 21 is connected at itsbottointo a bracket of Fig. 2, andFig. 5 is a section on line 55 16 by apivot pin 22 which extendsinto theof Fig. 2. a 7 socket in the block 19 of said bracket and into Theinvention is exemplifiedin an elevator a socket in the bottom bar 21 ofthe door cab which is provided with an upper track or leaf and has aball 22 to space said-bar from runway 11 which comprises a pairofchanneh said bracketl Each bracketlo is similarly beams 11 which arespaced apart and haveconnectedto the top: bar 21 of a door leafhorizontal flanges 11 formed with longi- 21' by a pivot pin 21 whichiscoaxial with tudinal grocves or recesses 11 on the top and the pin 22 atthe bottonr o'f said'leaffi Each T bottom faces of the flanges. Thecable; also door leaf ispreferably formed of bars provided with a lowertracker runway 12 21 and 22 and asheet metal"covering22fl so winchcomprises a pair of channel beams 12 thatwhcn the leaves are extendedmessage-- which are spaced apart and have horizontal toedgerelation;theywvill form a substaniianges formed with longitudinalgrooves or tially continuous or imperf-orate closure;- 7 races 12 on thetop and bottom facesof the The end wallsof'the leaves are" preferablyflanges The outer faces of-beams 11 are inclined transversely sothatwhent hele aves fixedly secured to aplate- 1'3 and'an angle bar aligned,the contiguous ends willlapor 13 respectively of the cab structure;Angle abut against eachother. The pivots between 5O: bar'13 is securedtoan angle bar'13 which the upper and the lower brackets and the 1 tallyinto edge-to-ec entire noor opening versely crosswise of the tracksleaves are to be collapsed to clear ing. The upper bracke *a are nectedby a pair of var cally swingin gle links 2i and 25. The upper bra lconnect d to permit the brackets to move together into close relationwhe the leaves are swung into transverse position, ant, so that theywill successively draw the succeeding bracket outwardly when the door isto be closed. "ons consists Each of these conneu a pair of erticallyswinging toggle links. ihe lower 0' ckets 1b are similarly connected heouter end of each pair eted to bracket and ti eir inner e ds are pivotedto each other so they can fold together when the brackets are pushedtogether, and so that when the brackets are pulled outwardly they willcause the n t bracket to be moved outwardly. One link of each pair isprovided with a stop prevent the links from pr sing into deadcenterlocking relation. 0 ets 15, 16, similar in construction to brackets 15and 16, is provided in advance of the first leaf 21, and these brackets15, 16 are rigidly secured to a vertical a1 gle bar 27 which is providedwith a handle for operat ing the door structure. Brackets 15, arerespectively connected to the first brackets 15, 16 of the series bysingle links 32. The upper margins of the leaves 21 are con finedbetween and guided by the horizont l flanges of a pair of angle bars 29and 29, and their lower margins are confined between a similar pair ofbars 30 and 3o when the leaves are positioned in the door openir z Thehorizontal flanges of these bars are cut away or inclined, as at 31 and31", so that as the leaves are pulled into the door opening 23, theywill swing and be guided into e'dge-to-edge relation, and will be freeto swin reversely when they are pushed out of the opening 23. A housing33 is provided to enclose the leaves when they are collapsed to clearthe door opening.

The operation will be as follows: When the door is collapsed, the leaves21 will be disposed in the housing 33, and extend transversely withtheir faces close together, as shown at the right hand of Fig. The upperand lower guide brackets will be in substan tial abutting relation. Toclose the door, the operator will pull handle 28 and bar 27 acrossopening 23. This will cause brackets 15, 16, through links 32, to drawthe first pair of brackets 15 and 16 and the first door leaf which ispivoted thereto outwardly, and as the toggle links, connected to saidbrackets 15 and 16, are extended, the first leaf will be separated fromthe succeeding leaf,so the former can swing horizontally from itstransverse position. Each succeeding pair of brackets, with the leafconnected thereto, will be similarly separated from the next succeedingpair of brackets and leaf as the toggle links are extended, and whenextended, the links will commence to pull out the following pair ofbrackets and the leaf carried thereby. This successive separation of thebrackets separates the leaf pivots so each leaf may, in succession,swing horizontally into the plane of the door opening. Each verticalpair of brackets will draw the succeeding pair with its leaf outwardlyand away from the collapsed leaves until all of the leaves have beenpulled out. As the leaves are thus pulled, they successively passbetween the inclined surfaces 31, 31" of guide bars 30 and 30. whichwill swing them into the plane of opening 23 and guide them into thespace between said guide-bars so their edges will abut and so the leaveswill form a continuous closure for the opening 23. Said guide-bars willalso prevent the turning of the leaves while they are in the dooropening. A spring 35 is secured to housing 33 to engage the trailingsides of the leaves and insure their turning into alignment with oneanother as they pass into the constricted space between guide bars 30,30 and thus insure the turning of the leaves into alignment with oneanother. When the door is to be opened, the operator will push the bar27 toward the housing 33 and, as the lea pass between guide surfaces 31and 31", they will be successively rel ased and turned to extendcrosswise of the track, whereupon the toggle links between the bracketsto which they are connected will fold together so that the brackets willsuccessively pass into abutting relation until all of the leaves havepassed into the housing and opening 23 has been cleared. As each leafpasses to its transverse position, the succeeding leaf will strike itand be deflected out of its lonigtudinal position and into itstransverse position.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to scure by Let ters Patent, is:

1. In a door structure, the combination of upper and lower tracks, aseries of leaves mounted to travel longitudinally of the tracks, coaxialpivots at the top and hot of the leaves respectively which permit themto swing horizontally into alignment with one another, longitudinally ofthe tr ck and permit them to swing transversely of he track, serialconnections for shifting the leaf-pivots which permit them to be spreadapart and moved into close relation, and means to control the pivotalmovement of llllj I the leaves so they will pass into alignment when theleaf pivots areseparated and into transverse position when theleaf-pivotsare moved toward one another.

2. In a door structure, the combination of upper and lower tracks,'aseries of leaves mounted to travel, longitudinally of the tracks,coaxial pivots at the top and bottom of the leaves respectively whichpermit them to swing horizontally into alignment with one anotherlongitudinally of the trail: and permit them to swing transversely ofthe track, and serial connections for shifting the leaf-pivots whichpermit them to be spread apart and to be moved into close relation, andguide-bars to control the pivotal movement of the leaves so they willpass into alignment when the leaf pivots are separated and intotrans-verse position when the leaf-pivots are moved toward one another.

3. In a door structure, the combination of upper and lower tracks, aseries of leaves mounted to travel longitudinally of the tracks, coaxialpivots at the top and bottom '1 of the leaves respectively which permitthem to swing horizontally into alignment with one anotherlongitudinally of the track and permit them to swing transversely of thetrack, and toggle-link connections for shifting the leaf-pivots andwhich permit them to be spread apart and to be moved into closerelation, and means to control the pivotal movement of the leaves sothey will pass into alignment when the leaf pivots are separated andinto transverseposition when the leaf-pivots are moved toward oneanother. l. In a door structure, the comblnation of upper and lowertracks, a series of leaves mounted to travel longitudinally of thetracks, guides on the tracks, coaxial pivots between the top and bottomof the leaves respectively and the guides which permit them to swinghorizontally into alignment,

with one another longitudinally of the track and permit them to swingtransversely of the track, and serial connections for shifting theguides, which permit them to be spread apart and to be moved into closerelation,

' and means to control the pivotal movement of the leaves so theywillpass into alignment when the guides are separated and into transverseposition when the guides are moved toward one anothert 5. In a doorstructure, the combination of upperand lower tracks, a series of leaves,a series of vertical pairs of guides mounted to travel on the tracksrespectively, coaxial pivotal connections betweenthe guides of eachvertical pair and the leaves respectively which permit them to swinghorizontally intoalignment with one another andtransversely to thetrack, and serial connections between the guides which permit theirlimited separation so the pivotal connections for the leaves may bespread apart to permit pivotal connections between the guides of eachvertical pair and the leaves respectively which permit them to swinghorizontally into alignment with one another and trans versely to thetrack, serial connections between the guides which permit their limitedseparation so the pivotal connections for the leaves maybe spread apartto permit the leaves to swing into and out of alignment and permit themto be moved into close relation when they are in their transversepositions, and means to control theswinging of the leaves. 7

7. In door structure,the combination of upper and lower tracks, a seriesof leaves, a series of vertical pairs of guides mounted to travel on thetracks respectively, coaxial pivotal connections between the guides ofeach vertical pair and the leaves respectively which permit them toswing horizontally into alignment with one anotherand transversely tothe track, and serial connections between the guides which permit theirlimited separation so the pivotal connections for the leaves may bespread apart to permit the leaves to swing into and out of alignment andpermit them to be moved into close relation when they are in theirtransverse positions, said tracks comprising bars spaced apart, theguides extending between the bars.

8. In door structure, the combination of upper and lower tracks, aseries of leaves, a seriesof vertical pairs of guides mounted to travelon the tracks respectively, coaxial pivotal connections between theguides of each vertical pair and the leaves respectively which permitthem to swing horizontally into alignment with one anotherlongitudinally of the track and transversely to the track, andtogglelinlr connections between the guides which permit their limitedseparation and are told able to permit the guides to move toward oneanother so the' pivotal connections for the leaves may be spread-apartto permit the leaves to swing into and out of alignment and to permitthe leaves to be moved into close a permit them to swing horizontallyinto alignmentwith one another and transversely to the track, and serialconnections between the guides which permit their limited separation sothe pivotal connections for the leaves may be spread apart to permit theleaves to swing into an d out of alignment and permit them to he movedinto close relation when they are in their transverse positions, saidtracks each having guide-ways on the to; and bottom thereof, and saidguides having upper and lower bearings for said ways.

10 In a door structure, the combination of upper and lower tracks, aseries of leaves, a series of vertical p s oi'guides mounted to travelon the tracks respectively, coaxial pivotal cornections between theguidesoi each vertical pair and the leaves respectively which e nit themto swing horizontally into alignwith one another and transversely totrack, serial connections between the guides which permit their limitedseparation so the pivotal connections for the leaves may be spread apartto permit the leaves to swing into and out of alignment and permit themto be moved into close relation when they are in their transversepositions, and a verical op- ":3 crating bar, connected to positivelyshift the gu des in which the first leaf is pivoted.

ll. in a door structure, the combination or upper and lower tracks, aseries of leaves, a series ot vertical pairs of guides mounted to travelon the tracks resoectivel" coaxial ivotal connections between the guidesof each vertical pair and the leaves respectively which permit them toswing horizontally into alignment with one another and transversely tothe track, serial connections between the guides which permit theirlimited separation so the pivotal connections for the leaves may bespread apart to permit the leaves to swing into and out of alignment andpermitthem to be moved into close relation when they are in theirtransverse positions, a vertical bar, and a pair of guides on the tracksto which said bar is fixed and connected to the guides in which thefirst leaf is pivoted.

12. In a door structure, the combination of upper and lower tracks, aseries of leaves mounted to travel longitudinally of the tracks, coaxialpivots at the top and bottom of the leaves respectively which permitthem to swing horizontally into alignment with one anotherlongitudinally of the track, and permit them to swing transversely ofthe track, connections by which the leafpivots will be serially spreadapart and which permit them to be moved into close relation, and meansto control the pivotal movement of the leaves so they will pass intoalignment when the leafpivots are separated and into transverse positionwhen the leatpivots are moved toward one another, and a housing intowhich the leaves are movable.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 16th day of February, 1929.

GILBERT C. STAEHLE.

